Facilities Planning

Planning for the Future of North Monterey County USD Schools

The North Monterey County Unified School District (NMCUSD) serves approximately 4,500 students in TK/kindergarten through 12th grade. Dedicated teachers and staff care about each student’s well-being and academic preparation and are committed to helping ensure all students are ready for college, careers and beyond.

Aging Schools Require Repairs and Upgrades
Although we’re proud of the education opportunities provided to all students in our schools, many schools are over 60 years old, and classrooms and other facilities require repairs and upgrades to meet current school safety and academic standards. While school maintenance staff works to keep NMCUSD schools safe and clean, our aging schools were built to safety and educational standards from a different era. Basic repairs and upgrades are needed to keep our
schools safe and functioning for local students.

Over the past year, the District worked with a school facilities consultant to create a Facilities Master Plan (FMP) to provide a road map to upgrading classrooms and school facilities. This process included a thorough needs assessment of all of our school classrooms and other school facilities, and developing a plan to address the facilities’ needs throughout the district.
Identified priorities include:

• Upgrading and replacing failing HVAC systems in classrooms and school buildings
• Improving student safety and campus security systems, including security fencing, cameras, emergency communications systems, smoke detectors, fire alarms, and sprinklers
• Repairing or replacing deteriorating roofs, plumbing, gas lines, sewer lines, and aging electrical systems
• Replacing our oldest portable classrooms with permanent or modular classrooms
• Reconfiguring drop-off/pick-up areas and providing additional parking at our schools

Planning for the Future of NMCUSD Schools
The facility improvements needed in our neighborhood schools are far beyond the scope of NMCUSD’s current operating budget. District leaders are currently evaluating options for funding these improvements, including utilizing capital reserves in the District’s budget and accessing State funds, which require matching funds usually provided by a local school improvement bond measure.

Many California school districts ask their communities to approve a school improvement bond measure to provide dedicated local funding for repairs and upgrades. Funding from a potential bond measure must be used to repair and improve NMCUSD schools and cannot be taken away by the State or used for other purposes, including for administrators’ salaries or pensions. A bond measure would require a detailed project list showing how funds would be used, an independent citizens’ oversight committee and annual audits to help ensure bond funds are used as promised.

Your Input Is Welcome

As NMCUSD considers options for preparing our schools for the future, we welcome your input. To share your opinions and priorities or to ask questions, please contact Superintendent Dr. Matthew Turkie at askthesuperintendent@nmcusd.org

Resources:
Facilities Master Plan